[Page 189]

WHAT AILS THIS HEART O' MINE!

Air Sir James Baird.
1 WHAT ails this heart o' mine?
2 What ails this watery ee?
3 What gars me a' turn cauld as death
4 When I take leave o' thee?
5 When thou art far awa
6 Thou'lt dearer grow to me;
7 But change o' place and change o' folk
8 May gar thy fancy jee.
[Page 190]
9 When I gae out at een,
10 Or walk at morning air,
11 Ilk rustling bush will seem to say
12 I us'd to meet thee there.
13 Then I'll sit down and cry,
14 And live aneath the tree,
15 And when a leaf fa's i' my lap
16 I'll ca't a word frae thee.
17 I'll hie me to the bower
18 That thou wi' roses tied,
19 And where wi' mony a blushing bud
20 I strove mysell to hide.
21 I'll doat on ilka spot
22 Where I hae been wi' thee;
23 And ca' to mind some kindly word
24 By ilka burn and tree!
25 Wi' sic thoughts i' my mind,
26 Time through the world may gae,
27 And find my heart in twenty years
28 The same as 'tis to-day.
29 'Tis thoughts that bind the soul,
30 And keep friends i' the ee;
31 And gin I think I see thee aye,
32 What can part thee and me!
1. This song seems to have been a favourite with the author, for I have met with it in various forms among her papers; and the labour bestowed upon it has been well repaid by the popularity it has all along enjoyed. The edition given, the best that has yet been in types, is printed from a copy of several of her poems and songs, fairly and carefully written out, apparently either for publication or for the perusal of a friend, all of which appear to have got her final corrections. See the air inNell Gow's "First Collection of Reels", &c. 3d edit. p. 8. It forms the 541st song in "The Scots Musical Museums" vol. vi., first published in June 1803. The original title of the air seems to have been "My Dearie, an' thou dee." It is the second song to the music, the first being Gall's beautiful "O, Mary, turn awa." "Both of these songs," says Mr Stenhouse, "are excellent."

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Title (in Source Edition): WHAT AILS THIS HEART O' MINE!
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Genres: song

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Blamire, Susanna, 1747-1794. The Poetical Works of Miss Susanna Blamire “The muse of Cumberland.” Now for the first time collected by Henry Lonsdale, M.D. with a preface, memoir, and notes by Patrick Maxwell, ... Edinburgh: John Menzies, 61 Princes Street; R. Tyas, London; D. Robertson, Glasgow; and C. Thurnam, Carlisle. MDCCCXLII., 1842, pp. 189-190.  (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [42.256].)

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Other works by Susanna Blamire